


Lotus Flower

by Lori0



Series: Puzzle Pieces [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Future Yuffie/Sephiroth, Gen, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but she's 9 in this, nothing's gonna happen between them for a long time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24256318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lori0/pseuds/Lori0
Summary: The Princess and the Warrior. It could be the title of a fairy tale. It's not.
Relationships: Yuffie Kisaragi & Sephiroth
Series: Puzzle Pieces [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750888
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Lotus Flower

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Neo_Angel1986](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neo_Angel1986/gifts).



> This is entirely the fault of Neo_Angel1986 who commented on "Honey bees" and gave birth to this plot bunny. This is probably a lot less funny than what you were expecting but it’s what the bunny gave me. Hope you enjoy anyway ;)

The princess of Wutai is born with a soulmark. While it’s only part of the flower, to the people of Wutai the mark is clearly recognisable as a Lotus Flower and they rejoice at the good omen.

…

Sephiroth is born without a mark. When none develops in the first few years of his life, Hojo is pleased. His perfect specimen doesn’t have weaknesses, doesn't need something as silly as a soulmate.

Once he's old enough to understand what he's missing, Sephiroth starts wishing he had one but is smart enough to not let anyone know that.

By the time it does come in, settling on his skin when he’s eleven, he's already used to hiding his bare forearm from the world so it's not hard to continue hiding the mark instead.

He knows it's some kind of flower but he doesn't know enough, doesn't have enough details, to figure out what kind. It doesn't stop him from examining it every chance he gets, whenever he’s alone, away from prying eyes. He takes to lightly running a finger over the design whenever he's feeling tired or lost or hurting from another of Hojo's experiments.

…

Then he’s sent to war and the mark becomes a lifeline. A shield against the horrors he sees every day. A pillar when faced with the needless destruction of such a rich culture.

… 

The Wutai War has been long, brutal and both sides have suffered many losses. Sephiroth is twenty by the time it finally ends and, as he makes his way to the room where the Wutai surrender is to be signed, Sephiroth is acutely aware of the hateful stares following him and of how many of Wutai's dead can be laid at his feet. He itches to trace his fingers over his mark but he knows he can't afford to show any kind of weakness here.

He's just sat at the low table in front of emperor Godo when a young girl throws herself at him, yelling insults in both Wutaian and Common as she starts hitting him with her fists.

He's about to grab her arm to stop her when her fist makes contact with the part of his chest not covered by his coat and he feels like he’s been hit by a thunder spell. The floor falls down from under him, his vision narrowing to the child now looking at him with wide eyes.

As an attendant comes to take the girl away, apologizing profusely to Godo, Sephiroth can barely repress the urge to keep her close, to hold on and never let go. But she's just a child, and the circumstances are far from ideal, so he let her be pulled away. Almost out of the room, she yells "I hate you" and he feels it like a sword through the heart. He reigns in any outward reaction and turns back to the emperor instead. 

Emperor Godo is white as a sheet. "Please forgive my daughter." He bows down and pleads. "She's young and doesn't yet understand the consequences of her actions. She will be severely punished for her behavior today." Sephiroth waves him off.

"No need. I am well aware that she was only saying what every one of your people is thinking. Let us get on with today's task."

The princess' words are still resonating in his ears and his mark is burning and he wants to isolate himself as soon as possible.

Maybe he'll try to get drunk on some of that Wataian alcohol he's heard so much about.

He needs to figure out how to handle this. Both with the princess herself and the political nightmare it's going to cause. He's about to owe Tseng so many favors. He can feel the headache building behind his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> All those "treasure hunting" missions that Zack does in Crisis Core? Yep, that's Seph's job now (Cackles evily).
> 
> Also, she's _nine_ and he's about to have the longest dry spell in the history of ever.
> 
> (Crack 'verse : I have this silly image of Yuffie stealing Seph's materia any chance she gets. Including his _fire_ materia. So when he tries to burn down Nibelheim, he finds out his materia's gone _again_ and can only sigh and despair at his soulmate's thieving ways. And so the world is saved.
> 
> Alternately : “YUUUUUFFIIIIEEEE!!! Where’s my materia? I need to burn down a village and take over the world.”)
> 
> And if you're curious about Sephiroth and Yuffie's marks, here's a visual :  
> https://www.pinterest.com/pin/104849497560857818/  
> Sephiroth' is the bottom part (the green + 3 bottom petals) and Yuffie's is the upper petals. I like the symbolism of the Lotus and I think it fits both of them.


End file.
